TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa men's basketball team will conclude the regular season and celebrate its nine seniors in its home finale against USF at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
The Golden Hurricane (19-10, 11-6 American Athletic Conference) has won 11 of its last 15 games, and seven in a row at home. The Bulls (7-23, 4-13 American) are 2-2 in their last four contests, including a 52-39 defeat against East Carolina Wednesday.
The TU seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony, set to begin at approximately 3:40 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to help honor the stellar 2015-16 senior class, and recognize their outstanding career accomplishments.
The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on ESPNews.
The Series
This will be the third meeting between Tulsa and USF. Tulsa leads the series, 2-0. The Golden Hurricane won both meetings last season, 75-58 in Tampa on Jan. 17, and 78-71 in overtime in Tulsa on Jan. 31.
The Senior Class
The 2015-16 senior class has posted a 78-50 record in the last four seasons. The TU seniors have combined for 50 20-point scoring games and 314 double-figure scoring games, and rank among the top-10 in TU history in eight career categories. The group of seniors won the 2013-14 Conference USA regular season and tournament championships and played in Tulsa's first NCAA Tournament since 2003. They then ushered TU basketball into a new era when it joined the American Athletic Conference.
About USF
USF averages 62.6 points and 38.5 rebounds per game, as well as a .416 field goal and .275 3-point percentage, while allowing 70.8 ppg, 35.7 rpg, a .412 field goal and a .323 3-point percentage. Jahmal McMurray leads the Bulls with 15.2 points, while Roddy Peters averages 9.8 points per contest. Chris Perry puts up 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per outing.
Tulsa Statistical Leaders
James Woodard leads the Golden Hurricane with 15.7 points and adds 5.2 rebounds per game, while Shaquille Harrison averages 14.8 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds, along with 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Pat Birt adds 12.6 points, Rashad Smith scores 7.3 points, Brandon Swannegan puts up 5.8 points, and Marquel Curtis scored 6.9 points per outing. Tulsa averages 73.9 ppg, 34.8 rpg, a .444 field goal percentage, .332 3-point pct. and a .678 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 68.9 ppg, 36.8 rpg, a .416 field goal pct. and a .359 3-point pct.
Quick Hits
• Tulsa seniors Shaquille Harrison, James Woodard, Rashad Ray, D'Andre Wright, Rashad Smith,
Brandon Swannegan, Marquel Curtis, Nick Wood and Emmanuel Ezechinonso, as well as manager
Jalen Manning and student assistant Jairus Coleman, will be honored in a pregame ceremony set
to begin at 3:40 p.m. on the court.
• Tulsa's RPI is No. 41, and its strength of schedule is a league-best 33rd in the nation.
• Tulsa has won 11 of its last 15 games.
• Tulsa fell at Memphis, 92-82, Sunday in Memphis. Shaquille Harrison led the Golden Hurricane
with 20 points, while Marquel Curtis scored 16 points, Sterling Taplin scored 15 points, and
James Woodard added 14 points.
• Shaquille Harrison is the only player in TU history to compile 1,300 points, 400 assists and 200 steals. James Woodard is the third player in TU history to compile 1,800 points and 700 rebounds.
• James Woodard, Shaquille Harrison and Pat Birt combine to average 43.1 points per game.
• Three Tulsa starters are left-handed (60%), but only 12 percent of the population is left-handed.
• Tulsa is 2-2 vs. ranked opponents this season, with wins over No. 9 Wichita State (77-67) and No. 16 SMU (82-77), and losses to No. 18 SMU (69-81) and No. 22 Cincinnati (57-76).
• Through 29 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 395 assists to 313 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 29 games, the Hurricane had 317 assists-331 turnovers–0.9 ratio.
• Tulsa has two wins against top-25 opponents for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
• Two Tulsa players have scored 20 points in the same game six times this season – the most since the 1993-94 team had at least two players score at least 20 points in the same game eight times.
• Tulsa is 11-3 at home this season.
• James Woodard is one of only three players in Tulsa history to total at least 60 3-pointers in three consecutive seasons.
• Harrison ranks 40th in the nation in steals (1.9 spg).
• The Hurricane has scored 90 points in four games so far this season. It is the most 90-point games since 2013-14, when Tulsa scored 90 points five times, and is the second-most since 2000-01.
• Tulsa is playing this season with nine seniors – the most seniors on one roster in the country.
• Tulsa is in its second year season under the direction of head coach Frank Haith. In his first season, the Hurricane posted a 23-11 overall record and a 14-4 conference record. TU finished second in the American Athletic Conference regular season, played in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and reached the second round of the postseason NIT.
American Athletic Conference Players of the Week
Tulsa has claimed three American Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards this season. Senior guards James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison earned the first two awards of the season, and Pat Birt won the award on Feb. 22. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16 and Harrison earned the honor on Nov. 23. In addition, Woodard has been named on the weekly honor roll three times (12/14, 1/18, 1/25) and Pat Birt has made the honor roll twice (2/8, 2/15).
Tulsa Career Top-10 Rankings
James Woodard ranks fourth in TU career scoring with 1,843 points, and second with 254 career 3-pointers. He needs 108 points to match Ben Uzoh (2006-10) for third place (1,951) and 45 threes to match Shea Seals (1993-97) for first place (299).
Harrison ranks third at TU with 240 career steals, and fourth with 445 career assists. He needs 31 steals to match Steve Harris (1981-85) for second place (271), and 12 assists to match Byron Boudreaux (1983-87) for second place (457).
Brandon Swannegan has 145 career blocks, ranking fourth in TU history. He needs 106 blocks to match Kevin Johnson (1999-03) for third place.
Other Statistical Notes
Tulsa averages 31.9 points in the paint per game, and has scored 926 points, or 43 percent of its season total, in the paint – that is 7.6 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 16.8 points off turnovers per game, and has scored 486, or 23 percent of its season total, off turnovers – 6.1 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 8.7 fastbreak points per game, and outscores opponents by an average of 5.3 fastbreak points per game. The Tulsa bench averages 19.7 points per game. Rashad Ray has a 3.0 assist-turnover ratio this season (57 assists to 19 turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.4 ratio over his last three years.
The Golden Hurricane (19-10, 11-6 American Athletic Conference) has won 11 of its last 15 games, and seven in a row at home. The Bulls (7-23, 4-13 American) are 2-2 in their last four contests, including a 52-39 defeat against East Carolina Wednesday.
The TU seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony, set to begin at approximately 3:40 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to help honor the stellar 2015-16 senior class, and recognize their outstanding career accomplishments.
The game will be broadcast on Big Country 99.5 FM and the Golden Hurricane Radio Network, and televised on ESPNews.
The Series
This will be the third meeting between Tulsa and USF. Tulsa leads the series, 2-0. The Golden Hurricane won both meetings last season, 75-58 in Tampa on Jan. 17, and 78-71 in overtime in Tulsa on Jan. 31.
The Senior Class
The 2015-16 senior class has posted a 78-50 record in the last four seasons. The TU seniors have combined for 50 20-point scoring games and 314 double-figure scoring games, and rank among the top-10 in TU history in eight career categories. The group of seniors won the 2013-14 Conference USA regular season and tournament championships and played in Tulsa's first NCAA Tournament since 2003. They then ushered TU basketball into a new era when it joined the American Athletic Conference.
About USF
USF averages 62.6 points and 38.5 rebounds per game, as well as a .416 field goal and .275 3-point percentage, while allowing 70.8 ppg, 35.7 rpg, a .412 field goal and a .323 3-point percentage. Jahmal McMurray leads the Bulls with 15.2 points, while Roddy Peters averages 9.8 points per contest. Chris Perry puts up 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per outing.
Tulsa Statistical Leaders
James Woodard leads the Golden Hurricane with 15.7 points and adds 5.2 rebounds per game, while Shaquille Harrison averages 14.8 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds, along with 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Pat Birt adds 12.6 points, Rashad Smith scores 7.3 points, Brandon Swannegan puts up 5.8 points, and Marquel Curtis scored 6.9 points per outing. Tulsa averages 73.9 ppg, 34.8 rpg, a .444 field goal percentage, .332 3-point pct. and a .678 free throw pct. The Hurricane allows opponents 68.9 ppg, 36.8 rpg, a .416 field goal pct. and a .359 3-point pct.
Quick Hits
• Tulsa seniors Shaquille Harrison, James Woodard, Rashad Ray, D'Andre Wright, Rashad Smith,
Brandon Swannegan, Marquel Curtis, Nick Wood and Emmanuel Ezechinonso, as well as manager
Jalen Manning and student assistant Jairus Coleman, will be honored in a pregame ceremony set
to begin at 3:40 p.m. on the court.
• Tulsa's RPI is No. 41, and its strength of schedule is a league-best 33rd in the nation.
• Tulsa has won 11 of its last 15 games.
• Tulsa fell at Memphis, 92-82, Sunday in Memphis. Shaquille Harrison led the Golden Hurricane
with 20 points, while Marquel Curtis scored 16 points, Sterling Taplin scored 15 points, and
James Woodard added 14 points.
• Shaquille Harrison is the only player in TU history to compile 1,300 points, 400 assists and 200 steals. James Woodard is the third player in TU history to compile 1,800 points and 700 rebounds.
• James Woodard, Shaquille Harrison and Pat Birt combine to average 43.1 points per game.
• Three Tulsa starters are left-handed (60%), but only 12 percent of the population is left-handed.
• Tulsa is 2-2 vs. ranked opponents this season, with wins over No. 9 Wichita State (77-67) and No. 16 SMU (82-77), and losses to No. 18 SMU (69-81) and No. 22 Cincinnati (57-76).
• Through 29 games this season, Tulsa has a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio. TU has totaled 395 assists to 313 turnovers. In 2014-15 through 29 games, the Hurricane had 317 assists-331 turnovers–0.9 ratio.
• Tulsa has two wins against top-25 opponents for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
• Two Tulsa players have scored 20 points in the same game six times this season – the most since the 1993-94 team had at least two players score at least 20 points in the same game eight times.
• Tulsa is 11-3 at home this season.
• James Woodard is one of only three players in Tulsa history to total at least 60 3-pointers in three consecutive seasons.
• Harrison ranks 40th in the nation in steals (1.9 spg).
• The Hurricane has scored 90 points in four games so far this season. It is the most 90-point games since 2013-14, when Tulsa scored 90 points five times, and is the second-most since 2000-01.
• Tulsa is playing this season with nine seniors – the most seniors on one roster in the country.
• Tulsa is in its second year season under the direction of head coach Frank Haith. In his first season, the Hurricane posted a 23-11 overall record and a 14-4 conference record. TU finished second in the American Athletic Conference regular season, played in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and reached the second round of the postseason NIT.
American Athletic Conference Players of the Week
Tulsa has claimed three American Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards this season. Senior guards James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison earned the first two awards of the season, and Pat Birt won the award on Feb. 22. Woodard won the award on Nov. 16 and Harrison earned the honor on Nov. 23. In addition, Woodard has been named on the weekly honor roll three times (12/14, 1/18, 1/25) and Pat Birt has made the honor roll twice (2/8, 2/15).
Tulsa Career Top-10 Rankings
James Woodard ranks fourth in TU career scoring with 1,843 points, and second with 254 career 3-pointers. He needs 108 points to match Ben Uzoh (2006-10) for third place (1,951) and 45 threes to match Shea Seals (1993-97) for first place (299).
Harrison ranks third at TU with 240 career steals, and fourth with 445 career assists. He needs 31 steals to match Steve Harris (1981-85) for second place (271), and 12 assists to match Byron Boudreaux (1983-87) for second place (457).
Brandon Swannegan has 145 career blocks, ranking fourth in TU history. He needs 106 blocks to match Kevin Johnson (1999-03) for third place.
Other Statistical Notes
Tulsa averages 31.9 points in the paint per game, and has scored 926 points, or 43 percent of its season total, in the paint – that is 7.6 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 16.8 points off turnovers per game, and has scored 486, or 23 percent of its season total, off turnovers – 6.1 ppg more than its opponents. Tulsa averages 8.7 fastbreak points per game, and outscores opponents by an average of 5.3 fastbreak points per game. The Tulsa bench averages 19.7 points per game. Rashad Ray has a 3.0 assist-turnover ratio this season (57 assists to 19 turnovers). For his career, Ray has a 1.8 assist-turnover ratio, including a 2.4 ratio over his last three years.
